Woven fabric



June 20, 1961 w 5155 2,988,801

WOVEN FABRIC Filed Sept. 11, 1957 INVENT OR. MARION W. HEISS BY 6 {gr-L ATTORNEYS nited States Patent 2,988,801 WOVEN FABRIC Marion W. Heiss, Greensboro, N.C.; Katherine G. Heiss,

executrix of said Marion W. Heiss, deceased, assignor to Cone Mills Corporation, Greensboro, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed Sept. 11, 1957, Ser. No. 683,336 10 Claims. (Cl. 28-74) The present invention relates to textile fabrics and, more particularly, to a new and improved fabric and a method for producing the same.

Since fabric was first used for the many purposes of which it is susceptible, there have been many and varied improvements in its form and its manufacture. From the constant efforts of the artisans there comes new discoveries which not only fulfill an existing need but provide an important stimulus for future improvements. Such an improvement characterizes the present invention.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a fabric of such construction as to present inherently a predetermined appearance.

Another of the objects of the invention is to provide a method for producing a fabric with a predetermined appearance.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fabric with the warp and filling threads of such color and of such construction as to present an unusual visual effect when overdyed another color.

The fabric of the present invention embodies a particular relationship between a non-uniform compactness of warp threads and filling threads, at predetermined intervals, combined with controlled non-uniform dyeing and napping and overdyeing such that a completed napped and dyed fabric is produced of unexpected unique appearance and properties.

With these and other objects in view, the nature of which will become more apparent, the invention will be more fully understood by reference to the drawing, the accompanying detailed description, and the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic plan illustration of one relative spacing for the warp and filling threads;

FIGURE 2 is a view in elevation taken along the line 2-2 in FIGURE 1 to show one filling arrangement;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary plan view diagrammatically legended to illustrate the colors white and pink for the fabric at the completion of the weaving step;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary plan view diagrammatically illustrating the effect of the napping step; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the fabric diagrammatically legended to illustrate the completed fabric which has been overdyed blue.

Referring to the drawing illustrating one embodiment of the invention in greater detail, FIGURE 1 shows a portion of a fabric with the filling threads 11 being spaced, for example, equidistantly apart. The warp threads 12, on the other hand, are divided into two series. The first series, indicated generally by the numeral 13, have the warp threads spaced apart approximately the same distance as the filling threads 11. On the other hand, the second series of Warp threads, indicated generally by the numeral 14, are spaced closer together, for example, one-half the distance of the warp threads 13. It is possible that this condition can be provided in the weft or filler threads under suitable circumstances either alone or in combination with the differently compacted warp threads.

In FIGURE 2, there is shown in elevation a view along the line 2-2 in FIGURE 1 in order to illustrate one possible weaving arrangement of the filling threads 11 with the warp threads spaced as described above.

In producing the flannel or napped fabric with the unusual characteristics and appearance in accordance with the present invention, the fabric before napping comprises warp threads 13 spaced more loosely and of a color which is different from the warp threads 14. This condition would also exist in the fabric having more and less loosely spaced filler threads. For illustration purposes only, the threads 13 may be colored pink as diagrammatically legended in FIGURE 3. The warp threads 14, spaced more closely together, may be white.

A fabric thus woven is then passed through a napping machine which may be any of the conventional napping machines known in the art. Those threads having relatively close spacing such as the warp threads 14, having a tight weave, are comparatively unaffected by the napping process and those portions of the fabric are substantially and relatively less napped than the areas composed of loosely woven threads such as for example the warp threads 13, which are napped in the conventional manner. The result of this step is illustrated diagrammatically in FIGURE 4 of the drawing.

Following the napping step, the fabric is overdyed a color different from the color of the warp threads 13. For illustration purposes, this color may be blue. FIG- URE 5 of the drawing illustrates, diagrammatically in legend, the resulting color effect presented by the fabric after this overdyeing step. Due to the different surface characteristics of the napped portion of the fabric as compared with the unnapped portion, giving the fabric a three-dimensional effect, the light reflective properties of the fabric present an unusual appearance. In this manner, a unique fabric of highly interesting texture and appearance is produced which will be useful for many purposes, as for example, clothing, blankets, sheeting, curtains, upholstery, and the like.

Of course, it is understood that the invention is not limited to striped fabric as it is equally susceptible to forming a plaid pattern. In this instance, the filling threads 11 would be spaced at unequal distances at predetermined intervals along the width of the fabric. The color of predetermined warp and filling areas may be selected to give a desired resulting effect.

The colors are selected such that when the fabric is napped and then overdyed a different color, the two combined colors in the napped portion of the fabric will present an unusual appearance. When the closely spaced warp threads are initially white, this portion of the fabric will take the overdyed color in substantially it true color. By experimenting with different color combinations in the napped portion of the fabric, many unusual and interesting effects may be formed according to the desires of the maker.

The present described embodiment of the fabric is con: sidered in all respects merely illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claims are, therefore, intended to be embodied therein.

I claim:

1. An article of manufacture, a napped fabric comprising a plurality of warp threads and a plurality of filling threads, said warp threads being of a first and a second series, said first series of warp threads being positioned closer together than the warp threads of said second series, the warp threads of said second series being more napped than the warp threads of said first series and being of a color different from the color of the warp threads of the first series, and the fabric being overdyed a color different from the color of either said first series or said second series.

2. An article of manufacture, a napped fabric comprising a plurality of Warp threads and a plurality of filling threads, said warp threads being spaced at different distances apart at predetermined intervals, predetermined ones of said warp threads being more napped than predetermined others of said warp threads and said differently napped warp threads being of different colors, and the fabric being overdyed a color different from any of the colors of said warp threads.

3. An article of manufacture, a napped fabric comprising a plurality of warp threads and a plurality of filling threads, said filling threads being spaced at different distances apart at predetermined intervals, predetermined ones of said filling threads being more napped than predetermined others of said filling threads and said differently napped filling threads being of different colors, and the fabric being overdyed a color different from any of the colors of said filling threads.

4. An article of manufacture, a napped fabric comprising a first plurality of threads arranged in the warp, a second plurality of threads arranged in the filling, the threads of at least one of said pluralities being spaced at different distances apart at predetermined intervals, predetermined ones of said differently spaced threads being more napped than predetermined others of said spaced threads and said differently napped spaced threads being of different colors, and the fabric being overdyed a color different from any of the colors of said differently spaced threads.

5. An article of manufacture, a napped fabric comprising a first plurality of threads arranged in the warp, a second plurality of threads arranged in the filling, the threads of at least one of said pluralities being spaced at different distances apart at predetermined intervals such that some of the threads are napped more than others, predetermined ones of said differently spaced threads being of different colors, and the fabric being overdyed a color different from any of the colors of said differently spaced threads.

6. A process of manufacturing a fabric presenting an unusual appearance, which process comprises the steps of positioning a first plurality of threads in the filling, posi, tion a second plurality of threads in the warp, dividing the threads of at least one of said pluralities into two series, said two series being of different colors, spacing the threads of the first series apart a distance different from the spacing of the threads of the second series such that the warp and filling threads in the first series form a relatively tight weave and the warp and filling threads in the second series form a relatively loose weave, napping the fabric to present a napped surface at the positions of said second series of threads, and then overdyeing the fabric a color different from any color of the threads in said two series.

7. A process of manufacturing a fabric presenting a predetermined appearance, which process comprises the steps of positioning the filling threads at substantially uniform spacing, dividing the warp threads into two series,

the first series being spaced apart a distance different from the spacing of the second series such that the warp and filling threads in said first series form a relatively tight weave and the warp and filling threads in said second series form a relatively loose weave, napping the fabric to present a napped surface at the positions of the second series of the warp threads, and then overdyeing the fabric a color different from any color of the warp threads.

8. A process of manufacturing a fabric presenting an unusual appearance, which process comprises the steps of positioning the filling threads at substantially uniform spacing, dividing the warp threads into two series, said two series being a first series of Warp threads of one color and a second series of a different color, the first series being spaced apart a distance different from the spacing of the second series such that the warp and filling threads in said first series form a relatively tight weave, napping the fabric to present a napped surface at the positions of the second series of warp threads, and then overdyeing the fabric a color different from any color of the warp threads.

9. A process of manufacturing a fabric presenting an unusual appearance, which process comprises the steps of positioning the filling threads at susbtantially uniform spacing, dividing the warp threads into two series, a first of the two series being of one color and a second of the two series being of a different color, the warp threads of the first series being spaced a distance apart approximately one-half that of the warp threads of the second series, napping the fabric to present a napped surface at the positions of the second series of Warp threads, and then overdyeing the fabric a color different from any color of the warp threads.

10. A process of manufacturing a fabric presenting an unusual appearance, which process comprises the steps of positioning a first plurality of threads in the filling, positioning a second plurality of threads in the warp, dividing the threads of at least one of said pluralities into two series, a first of said two series of threads being white and a second of said two series of threads being pink, spacing the white threads of the first series apart a distance different from the spacing of the pink threads of the second series such that the warp and filling threads in the first series form a relatively tight weave and the warp and filling threads in the second series form a relatively loose weave, napping the fabric to present a napped surface at the positions of said second series of threads, and then overdyeing the fabric blue.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

2. AN ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE, A NAPPED FABRIC COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF WARP THREADS AND A PLURALITY OF FILLING THREADS, SAID WARP THREADS BEING SPACED AT DIFFERENT DISTANCES APART AT PREDETERMINED INTERVALS, PREDETERMINED ONES OF SAID WARP THREADS BEING MORE NAPPED THAN PREDETERMINED OTHERS OF SAID WARP THREADS AND SAID DIFFERENTLY NAPPED WARP THREADS BEING OF DIFFERENT COLORS, AND THE FABRIC BEING OVERDYED A COLOR DIFFERENT FROM ANY OF THE COLORS OF SAID WARP THREADS.
 7. A PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING A FABRIC PRESENTING A PREDETERMINED APPEARANCE, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES THE STEPS OF POSITIONING THE FILLING THREADS AT SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM SPACING, DIVIDING THE WARP THREADS INTO TWO SERIES, THE FIRST SERIES BEING SPACED APART A DISTANCE DIFFERENT FROM THE SPACING OF THE SECOND SERIES SUCH THAT THE WARP AND FILLING THREADS IN SAID FIRST SERIES FORM A RELATIVELY TIGHT WEAVE AND THE WARP AND FILLING THREADS IN SAID SECOND SERIES FORM A RELATIVELY LOOSE WEAVE, NAPPING THE FABRIC TO PRESENT A NAPPED SURFACE AT THE POSITIONS OF THE SECOND SERIES OF THE WARP THREADS, AND THEN OVERDYEING THE FABRIC A COLOR DIFFERENT FROM ANY COLOR OF THE WARP THREADS. 